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NEC Develops High
Speed/Precision WiMAX Radio Propagation Simulator
Other topics:
Mobile WiMAX Testing,
Commercial WiMAX Deployment,
Wireless Technology Award
NEC Corporation
October 1, 2007
Tokyo, Japan -- NEC Corporation announced the successful development of a new
Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access ( WiMAX ) radio
propagation simulator, RADIOSCAPE-WiMAX. The new simulator is expected
to realize the analysis and display of the service area and transmission
performance of WiMAX ( 1 ) systems after their adoption in Japan next
year.
WiMAX has been attracting attention as the next generation broadband
wireless-access technology expected to enable low-cost communication
services, such as high capacity mobile data communication by mobile
phones and PC cards, and wide-area fixed wireless access to resolve the
digital divide. |
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By introducing new
space/frequency utilization concepts, such as Multiple-Input Multiple
Output ( MIMO ( 2 ) ) and sub-channelization, WiMAX systems are expected
to realize the transmission of large volumes of data in
limited-frequency bands and frequency reuse between base stations.
However, existing area-planning tools cannot estimate quantitatively or
precisely the effects of these kinds of new technologies, resulting in
inefficient area planning. NEC has developed RADIOSCAPE-WiMAX to realize
efficient area planning after the future adoption of WiMAX systems.
New functions were added to RADIOSCAPE( R )( 3 ), a radio propagation
simulator developed by NEC for wireless LAN and 3rd generation mobile
phone systems, to allow application to future WiMAX systems. The
features of the newly developed radio propagation simulator
RADIOSCAPE-WIMAX include the following:
( 1 ) Accelerated calculation by hierarchized MIMO characteristic
simulation technology
A large amount of complex calculation needs to be processed for WiMAX
area planning that incorporates MIMO, hindering efficient area planning.
To improve this process, NEC has developed the world's first
hierarchized MIMO characteristic simulation technology, realizing high
speed and high precision simulation of increased transmission capacity
by MIMO technology. For example, calculation processing for base
stations located at 1km intervals in all 23 wards of Tokyo would require
52 days to be processed, but NEC's newly developed technology can cut
this time to 1.3 days, ensuring efficient WiMAX area planning.
( 2 ) Highly precise frequency planning by inter-sub-channel
interference simulation technology
WiMAX employs sub-channelization, which achieves an increase in the
number of frequency channels. However, interference between sub-channels
differs to that of inter-channel interference in conventional radio
communication, making it difficult to estimate any transmission
performance degradation. NEC has incorporated an interference
characteristic model into the new simulator to enable frequency planning
based on highly precise interference simulations and effective
utilization of limited-frequency bands.
NEC has confirmed the precision of RADIOSCAPE-WiMAX through
indoor/outdoor radio propagation tests, which show that the new
simulator not only maintains a high level of estimation precision
similar to that of RADIOSCAPE( R ) but also achieves simulation that is
40 times faster than conventional ray-launching methods.
Utilization of this simulator will enable quantitative evaluation of
system capability of specific environments and equipment during the
phase of WiMAX equipment planning and system implementation.
Consequently, phased equipment planning appropriate to the number of
users and the volume of traffic can be achieved.
NEC expects this technology to provide comprehensive support to network
operators when WiMAX service commences on a nationwide scale, and to
facilitate adjustment of the frequency distribution of high-speed
wireless communication services offered to residents in local
communities.
NEC is currently planning to introduce the new simulator into its total
WiMAX solutions offering next year.
About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation is one of the world's leading providers of Internet,
broadband network and enterprise business solutions dedicated to meeting
the specialized needs of its diverse and global base of customers. NEC
delivers tailored solutions in the key fields of computer, networking
and electron devices, by integrating its technical strengths in IT and
Networks, and by providing advanced semiconductor solutions through NEC
Electronics Corporation. The NEC Group employs more than 150,000 people
worldwide. For additional information, please visit the NEC home page
at: http://www.nec.com |
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